AVONDALE, Pa. (WPVI) — Dozens of residents in Chester County were forced to evacuate their homes after the remnants of Debby flooded their neighborhoods several feet deep.

It happened Thursday night in the 1st Street apartment block in Avondale. Neighbors reported that within two hours of the rain, several feet of water had accumulated in the street. The flood then pushed water into homes and a nearby apartment building, which had to be evacuated by emergency responders.

Saravana Karthik said the flooding took him and his family by surprise because they didn’t know what was happening on their doorstep. He only realised the seriousness of the situation when he saw the more than five feet of water in his basement and the rescue workers who came to evacuate him and his family.

“The rescue team came,” Karthik said. “And they had to pull my entire family out by boat. They had to use the boat because there was so much water.”

They managed to get to safety and spent the night with friends. When he returned home on Friday, it was clear that he could not stay as his basement and its contents were almost completely under water.

“It’s absolutely dangerous to be there because it’s completely underwater,” he said. “My air conditioning is underwater.”

The terrible weather event continued at the apartment complex next door. The American Red Cross said dozens of people were left homeless after water entered their building. In photos obtained by Action News from a local resident, the ground floor can be seen covered in several inches of murky water.

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Jennifer Graham, regional executive director of the American Red Cross, said the organization responded quickly when it received a request for help Thursday evening. In partnership with the Chester County Office of Emergency Management and the Garage Community and Youth Center, an emergency shelter was opened to house residents affected by the flooding.

On Friday afternoon, American Red Cross workers were on site trying to assess the damage and the needs of people who had to leave their homes.

“Right now we have food, we have a place for them to stay and we are taking care of their immediate needs,” Graham told Action News.

The situation was a source of frustration for Qin Huang, who tried to keep a smile on his face as he explained that the recent flood was the second time the neighborhood had been submerged in water in as many months.

He said he has begun pumping water out of his basement, but pointed out that a friend’s car in his driveway is the next storm-related problem he needs to deal with.

“He wanted to drive out by car, but was stopped by the police because the water was already flooding,” Huang said. “This morning he tried to start the engine, but it didn’t work.”

Meanwhile, Karthik, who was waiting for news on the condition of his two vehicles, which were also caught in the floods, said he was seriously considering moving out of the neighbourhood so that he and his family could feel safe in their home.

“We want to get out of here,” he said. “Of course my family is afraid to come back. But what should I do?”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed a disaster emergency declaration for 21 counties, including Chester and Berks, on Friday. This will allow the state to quickly deploy resources as recovery efforts begin.

“To more quickly provide resources and reduce red tape, I declared a state of emergency in response to severe storms and flooding across Pennsylvania. This enabled the state to respond quickly and respond to counties’ requests for assistance,” said Governor Shapiro.